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individual pursuits-Friends in Council-Serious and gay books
-English humour-Southey's ballad-Necessity of intellectual
discipline Disadvantage of courses of reading-Books not
insulated things-Authors who guide-Southey's Doctor-Elia
-Coleridge-Divisions of Prose and Poetry-Henry Taylor's
Notes from Books-Poetry not a mere luxury of the mind-
Arnold's habits of study and taste-The practical and poetical
element of Anglo-Saxon character-The Bible-Mosaic Poetry
-Inadequacy of language-Lockhart's character of Scott-Ar-
nold's character of Scipio-Tragic poetry-Poetry for children
-Robinson Crusoe and the Arabian Nights-Wordsworth's Ode
to Duty-Character of Washington..........................
LECTURE III.
THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE.
..... Page 54
Medium of ideas often forgotten-Witchery of English words-
Analysis of good style difficult-The power of words-Our duty
to the English language-Lord Bacon's idea of Latin-Milton-
Hume's expostulation with Gibbon-Daniel's Lament-Exten-
sion of English language-French dominion in America-Lan-
dor's Penn and Peterborough-Duty of protecting and guarding
language-Degeneracy of language and morals-Age of Charles
II.-Language part of character-Arnold's Lectures on Modern
History-Use of disproportionate words-Origin of the English
language in the North-Classical and romantic languages-
Saxon element of our language-Its superiority-The Bible
idiom-Structure of sentences-Prepositions at the end of most
vigorous sentences-Composite sentences, and the Latin element
-Alliteration-Grandeur of sentences in old writers-Modern
short sentences-Junius-Macaulay-No peculiar poetic diction
-Doctor Franklin's rules-Shakspeare's matchless words-
Wordsworth's sonnet-Byron-Landor-Coleridge's Christabel
"The Song in the Mind"-Hood-The Bridge of Sighs....... 85
LECTURE IV.
EARLY ENGLISH LITERATURE.
Early English prose and poetry-Sir John Mandeville-Sir Tho-
mas More's Life of Edward the Fifth-Chaucer's Tales-At-
tempted paraphrases-Chaucer Modernized-Conflict of Nor-
man and Saxon elements-Gower-Reign of Edward the Third-
Continental wars-Petrarch-Boccacio-Froissart-The church
-Wyclif-Arts and Architecture-Statutes in English-Chau-
cer resumed-His humour and pathos-Sense of natural beauty
-The Temple of Fame-Chaucer and Mr. Babbage-The flower
and the leaf-Canterbury Tales-Chaucer's high moral tone-
Wordsworth's stanza-Poet's corner and Chaucer's tomb-The
death of a Language-English minstrelsy-Percy's Reliques
-Sir Walter Scott-Wilson-Christian hymns and chaunts-
Conversion of King Edwin-Martial ballads-Lockhart-
Spanish ballads-Ticknor's great work-Edom of Gordon-
Dramatic power of the ballad-The Two Brothers-Contrast of
early and late English poetry....... ............................. Page 121
LECTURE V.
LITERATURE OF THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY.
Dawn of letters a false illustration-Intellectual gloom from Ed-
ward III. to Henry VIII.-Chaucer to Spenser-Caxton and
the art of printing-Civil wars-Wyatt and Surrey-The son-
net naturalized in English poetry-Blank verse-Henry VIII.
-Edward VI.-Landor's Sonnet-Sternhold and Hopkins-
Bishop Latimer-Goodwin Sands and Tenterden Steeple-
"Bloody Mary "-Sackville-"The Mirror of Magistrates"-
His career-Age of Elizabeth-Contrasts of her life-The
Church as an independent English power-Shakspeare-His
journey to London-Final formation of the English language
"The well of English undefiled"-The Reformation-Sir
Philip Sydney-The Bishop's Bible-Richard Hooker-Spen-
ser and Shakspeare-Wilson's Noctes Ambrosiana-Sir Walter
Raleigh-Shakspeare's Prose.............
LECTURE VI.
LITERATURE OF THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY, WITH INCIDENTAL
SUGGESTIONS ON SUNDAY READING.
Hooker's Ecclesiastical Polity-Progress of English literature-
Sir Walter Raleigh's History of the World-Bacon's Essays-
Milton-Comus-Hymn on the Nativity-Suggestions as to
Sunday reading-Sacred books-Forms of Christian faith-
Evidences of Religion-Butler's Analogy-Charles Lamb's Re-
marks on Stackhouse-History of the Bible-Jeremy Taylor-
Holy Living and Dying-Life of Christ-Pulpit-oratory-Sou-
they's Book of the Church-Thomas Fuller-Wordsworth's
Ecclesiastical Sonnets-Izaak Walton's Lives-Pilgrim's Pro-
gress-The Old Man's Home-George Herbert-Henry Vaughan
-Milton resumed-Paradise Lost-Criticism on it as a purely
sacred poem-Shakspeare's mode of treating sacred subjects-
Spenser The Faery Queen-John Wesley-Keble's Christian
Year-George Wither--Aubrey De Vere-Trench's Sonnet. Page 184
LECTURE VII.
LITERATURE OF THE SEVENTEENTH AND EIGHTEENTH CENTURIES.
Milton's old age-Donne's Sermons-No great school of poetry
without love of nature-Blank in this respect between Paradise
Lost and Thomson's Seasons-Court of Charles the Second-
Samson Agonistes-Milton's Sonnets-Clarendon's History of
the Rebellion-Pilgrim's Progress-Dryden's Odes-Absalom
and Achitophel-Rhyming tragedies-Age of Queen Anne-
British Statesmen-Essayists-Tatler-Spectator-Sir Roger
De Coverley-Pope-Lord Bolingbroke-English Infidels-
Johnson's Dictionary-Gray-Collins-Cowper-Goldsmith—
The Vicar of Wakefield-Cowper-Elizabeth Browning...........215
LECTURE VIII.
LITERATURE OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY.
Literature of our own times-Influence of political and social re-
lations-The historic relations of literature-The French Revo-
lution, and its effects-Infidelity-Thirty years' Peace-Scien-
tific progress coincident with letters-History-Its altered tone
-Arnold-Prescott-Niebuhr-Gibbon-Hume-Robertson-
Religious element in historical style-Lord Mahon-Macaulay's
History-Historical romance-Waverley Novels-The pulpit-
Sydney Smith-Manning-Poetry of the early part of the cen-
tury-Bowles and Rogers-Campbell-Coleridge's Christabel-
Lay of the Last Minstrel-Scott's poetry.......
..248
LECTURE IX.
CONTEMPORARY LITERATURE.
Lord Byron-His popularity and its decline-His power of sim-
ple, vigorous language-Childe Harold-The Dying Gladiator
-The Isles of Greece-Contrast of Byron's and Shakspeare's
creations-Miss Barrett-Miss Kemble's sonnet-Byron as a
poet of nature-His antagonism to Divine truth-The Dream,
the most faultless of his poems-Don Juan-Shelley-Leigh
Hunt's remarks on-Carlyle-His earnestness-Southey-
His historical works-Thalaba-Wordsworth-His character-
istics-Female authors-Joanna Baillie-Miss Edgeworth-
Mrs. Kemble-Mrs. Norton-Miss Barrett--Cry of the Chil-
dren, &c.......... Page 272
LECTURE X.
TRAGIC AND ELEGIAC POETRY.
Contrast of subjects, serious and gay-Tragic poetry-Illustrated in
history-Death of the first-born-Clarendon's raising the stand-
ard at Nottingham-Moral use of tragic poetry-Allston's cri-
ticism-Elegiac poetry-Its power not mere sentimentalism—
Gray's Elegy, an universal poem-Philip Van Artevelde-Caro-
line Bowles-"Pauper's Death Bed"-Wordsworth's Elegies-
Milton's Lycidas-Adonais-In Memoriam-Shelley's Poem on
Death of Keats-Tennyson-In Memoriam reviewed................309
LECTURE XI.
LITERATURE OF WIT AND HUMOUR.
Subtlety of these emotions-Sydney Smith and Leigh Hunt-
Dullness of jest-books-Hudibras a tedious book-Sydney
Smith's idea of the study of wit-Charles Lamb-Incapacity
for a jest-German note on Knickerbocker-Stoicism and Pu-
ritanism-Guesses at Truth-Cheerful literature needed for
thoughtful minds-Recreative power of books-Different modes
of mental relaxation-Napoleon-Shelley-Cowper-Southey's
merriness-Doctor Arnold-Shakspeare and Scott's humour—
The Antiquary-Burke-Barrow's definition of wit-Hobbes-
Forms of Humour-Doctor Johnson's grotesque definitions--
Collins the landscape painter-Examples of grotesque style-
Irish Bulls-Rip Van Winkle-Sydney Smith and Doctor Parr
--Humour in old tragedies-Lear and the fool-Hamlet and
the grave-digger-Irony-Macbeth and the doctor-Anne Bo-
leyn-Bishop Latimer-Fuller-Dean Swift and Arbuthnot-
Gulliver-Sir Roger De Coverley-Charles Lamb-Swift and
Byron's humour-Prostitution of wit-Sir Robert Walpole-
Lord Melbourne-Hogarth-Danger of power of humour illus-
trated-Ruskin's criticism....... .Page 337
LECTURE XII.
THE LITERATURE OF LETTER-WRITING.
Characteristics of a true letter-Historical and familiar letters-
Lord Bacon-Dr. Arnold's remarks-Despatches of Marlbo-
rough-Nelson-Franklin-John Adams-Reception by George
III.-Washington's correspondence-Bishop White's anecdote
of Washington-American diplomatic correspondence-Lord
Chatham's Letters-Duke of Wellington's-Archdeacon Hare's
remarks on-General Taylor's official letters-Familiar letters
-Cowley-Impropriety of publishing private correspondence
-Arbuthnot and Johnson's remarks on-Burns's Letters-Ten-
nyson-Howell's Letters-The Paston Letters-Lady Russell's
-Pope's-Hartley Coleridge's remark-Chesterfield-Horace
Walpole-Swift and Gray's-Cowper's-Scott's-Byron's-
Southey's, and Lamb's Letters of Dedication-Lamb's, to his
sister.
.....376